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We investigate the thermal transport originating from the propagation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in a thin gold stripe. The SPPs are excited by a grating coupler on the Au stripe which was patterned onto a silicon membrane. The transmissivity changes of the Si membrane due to temperature-induced changes of the interference conditions enable measuring the temperature distribution with temporal and spatial resolution better than 1 is and 1 im. With this setup, we demonstrate that SPP excitation, propagation, and decay are accompanied by considerable heating and heat transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the excitation and propagation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on a micron-sized thin gold stripe. Grating couplers are embedded for both excitation of SPPs and detection after propagation. The experimental setup allows measuring of the decay length of the SPPs on the gold stripe excited in the near infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. We show that SPPs are transmitted with a surprisingly high probability across a tapered constriction, with smallest lateral dimensions of atomic size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Physics is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Physics is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The dewetting process, which appears upon laser-induced melting of flat nanostructures and leads to a jumping of the droplets off the surface, is used for deposition of nano-particles onto a second substrate. Limitations in materials and particle sizes are discussed and experimentally verified. The experiments show that a variety of metals can be deposited in a size ranging from tens up to several hundreds of nanometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent transmission of MRSA, eradication by antiseptic washings and nasal ointment is recommended. There are few studies, which investigated the success of eradication of MRSA carriage during everyday clinical working conditions and results are controversial. We wanted to assess the effectiveness of MRSA eradication procedures – especially octenidine whole body washings and mupirocin nasal ointment – under conditions of everyday life. We retrospectively analyzed the files of all patients who were admitted to the medical department of a tertiary care hospital between 1999 and 2004 and who were infected or colonized by MRSA. According to hospital’s standards of care patients should have been washed with octenidine and should have got mupirocin nasal ointment only in case of nasal carriage. Patients were regarded as MRSA-eradicated when swabs taken on three consecutive days, earliest, three days after discontinuation of antiseptic and antiinfective procedures were without proof of MRSA. Only 6% of patients were eradicated. MRSA could be cultured from swabs taken on dismissal of 60% of patients. Fifteen percent of patients had only one or two negative series of swabs. In 19% of patients success of eradication remained unknown. Besides we found that under every day clinical working conditions compliance with several tasks of the eradication protocol was insufficient. Under every day clinical working conditions MRSA eradication is successful only in few patients. Whole body washings should be tested in detailed studies before they should become a recommendation for eradication of MRSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Call centre work with computers is associated with increased rates of upper body pain and musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: This one year, randomised controlled intervention trial evaluated the effects of a wide forearm support surface and a trackball on upper body pain severity and incident musculoskeletal disorders among 182 call centre operators at a large healthcare company. Participants were randomised to receive (1) ergonomics training only, (2) training plus a trackball, (3) training plus a forearm support, or (4) training plus a trackball and forearm support. Outcome measures were weekly pain severity scores and diagnosis of incident musculoskeletal disorder in the upper extremities or the neck/shoulder region based on physical examination performed by a physician blinded to intervention. Analyses using Cox proportional hazard models and linear regression models adjusted for demographic factors, baseline pain levels, and psychosocial job factors. Results: Post-intervention, 63 participants were diagnosed with one or more incident musculoskeletal disorders. Hazard rate ratios showed a protective effect of the armboard for neck/shoulder disorders (HR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.97) after adjusting for baseline pain levels and demographic and psychosocial factors. The armboard also significantly reduced neck/shoulder pain (p = 0.01) and right upper extremity pain (p = 0.002) in comparison to the control group. A return-on-investment model predicted a full return of armboard and installation costs within 10.6 months. Conclusion: Providing a large forearm support combined with ergonomic training is an effective intervention to prevent upper body musculoskeletal disorders and reduce upper body pain associated with computer work among call centre employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven basic fluorochromes with varying specificities were used to stain the large squamous epithelial cells isolated from the larval salivary glands of Megaselia scalaris (Phoridae). Although the EDTA-based method selected for isolating the cells produced permeabilization and a loss of viability of the cells, consistent results were obtained with the various fluorochromes. The 'classical' pattern of green nuclear and red cytoplasmic fluorescence observed in cells stained with acridine orange could be changed to green cytoplasmic and red nuclear fluorescence by pretreatment with RNase. The predominantly cytoplasmic and nucleolar fluorescence obtained with pyronine Y could be changed to mainly nuclear fluorescence by RNase pretreatment. The other five fluorochromes tested were not affected appreciably by extraction with RNase. Quinacrine mustard, dicarbocyanine (DiOC(3)), and rhodamine 123 produced primarily cytoplasmic and nucleolar fluorescence, while nile red revealed mainly cytoplasmic lipid droplets. Phosphine 3R initially stained lipid droplets but very rapidly redistributed throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus. Because of their large size, flatness, and content of histochemically demonstrable components, the cells of Megaselia are especially appropriate for use as 'optical objects' or controls in various studies. New methods of isolating the cells, however, will be needed to prevent permeabilization and loss of viability of the cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) provide the first opportunity to examine solar center-to-limb relative intensity measured exoatmospherically at wavelengths from 2.4 to 10 μm. The data were obtained from limb-to-limb scans across the solar equator on days of very low activity in May 1994. Coefficients for a function describing limb darkening are obtained at eight infrared wavelengths using a nonlinear least-squares fitting technique. Relative intensities produced by the limb-darkening functions are precise to 0.1% (2 σ). From the limb-darkening coefficients, it is possible to calculate temperature information about the photosphere. At each of the eight HALOE wavelengths, the brightness temperature from the flux, T(λ), and the temperature as a function of monochromatic optical depth, T(τλ), are determined and normalized using Kondratyev et al. (1965) and calibrated Pierce (1954) central intensity measurements. The two temperature quantities are compared with the predictions of Vernazza, Avrett, and Loeser's (1976) model M, and in general there is good agreement. The largest differences occur between 2.4 and 3 μm and suggest that the central intensities used in this spectral region are low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured the room temperature, widths, pressure shifts, and line asymmetry coefficients for many transitions of the first overtone band of CO and CO perturbed by N[sub 2]. The broadening coefficients were obtained with an accuracy of about 1%. The pure CO profiles have been fitted by a Voigt profile while the CO-N[sub 2] spectral profiles have been fitted with a Lorentz and an empirical line shape model (HC[sub v]) that blends together a hard collision model and a speed-dependent Lorentz profile. In addition to the Voigt, Lorentz, and HC[sub v] models, we have added a dispersion profile to account for weak line mixing. The line broadening and shift coefficients are compared to semiclassical calculations employing a variety of intermolecular interactions. The line asymmetry results are compared to line mixing calculations based on the energy corrected sudden (ECS) model. The results indicate that effects other than line mixing also contribute to the measured line asymmetry. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience as search and rescue (SAR) volunteer of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine in California.